Baby massage 2 months at home. How to give a child drainage massage? Massage technique on different parts of the body

A newborn baby needs special care. New parents who are concerned about the development of their baby correctly have many things to learn. One of these useful procedures is a massage for newborns.

Regular massage for newborns at home is a vital necessity.

Sessions are needed for:

Getting rid of excessive muscle tone.
Treatment and prevention of various diseases.
Massage is one of the forms of knowledge of the surrounding world: the touch of the mother causes the baby positive emotions and joy.
Relaxation before bed.
Removal of pain syndrome.
Improvement of blood circulation.
Improvement of the gastrointestinal tract.
General strengthening of the body.
Enhance immunity.

How to massage a child?

Remember that massage for newborns has its own distinctive features, due to the fact that the child's body is very fragile and will not withstand too intense stress. In order not to harm your baby, follow the basic rules for this procedure:

The technique or features of the massage do not depend on the gender of the child. A newborn girl needs the procedure to the same extent as a boy.

Basic tricks:

neck baby massage very gently, kneading and stroking only the muscles - from the shoulders to the hairline. There should be no effect on the spine! Perform with both one and two hands, without weighting. Movement, as a rule, goes to the center. In addition, babies make turns and tilts of the head. Such a massage is highly recommended for torticollis in infants, and is one of the ways to get rid of this fairly common ailment.

Massage for colic

In case of indigestion, colic, bloating and constipation, children are also recommended to have a massage. This will alleviate their condition, remove discomfort and establish natural processes. Also, this procedure helps with an umbilical hernia or a predisposition to its occurrence.

The room should be warm, about 25-26 degrees. Turn on the heater if necessary.
Lay the child on the tummy and carefully massage the area of the sacrum with light movements.
Then pay attention to the tummy of the baby. It is massaged clockwise with soft in a circular motion. Gently press lightly with the entire surface of the palm of your hand.
The main technique is stroking of varying intensity. Alternate them. There may be tingling around the umbilical region.
In no case do not use acupressure and too much pressure!

After such a massage, your baby may want to use the toilet, so be prepared for this, prepare everything you need in advance.

For the prevention of hernia, the following methods are used:

Raising the legs lying on your back. Raise one leg at a time or both at the same time. Pull your socks towards you, to the sides. This will strengthen the abdominal muscles.
Help your child sit up on their own.
Make body turns together.
To treat this ailment, point pressure around the navel is sometimes used. However, such a technique, as a rule, is prescribed by a doctor: without his consent, it is better not to use such techniques.

Massage for bronchitis

If little man struck by this disease, then in addition to drug treatment prescribed by a pediatrician, massage can also be used. It will alleviate the condition of the child, speed up recovery. Can be done on the 3-5th day of illness. Cannot be done when elevated temperature bodies!

Due to age, the baby cannot expectorate mucus on his own, and the correct actions of the massage therapist will help to remove phlegm from the lungs.

The advantage of this type of procedure is that the mother can conduct sessions on her own at home. It does not require special skills or special equipment.

Massage technique:

After medical procedure be sure to wrap the child, cover him with a warm blanket and let him lie down.

Remember that in the treatment of bronchitis is important A complex approach, so use all the treatments that your doctor has recommended to you. If the child has complications, and he began to feel worse, be sure to contact a specialized institution for medical help.

Massage contraindications

Like any procedure, massage has a number of contraindications.

Massage for children is a soft, measured stroking of the child's body with your own hands. You can use oil or baby cream so that the hands can glide smoothly over the skin of the crumbs.

As part of the massage process, you can gently manipulate your child's ankles, wrists, and fingers in a passive joint exercise. During the massage, talk softly, coo or sing to your baby. This will make your manipulation even more soothing for the baby.

Soothing hand strokes activate the production of the hormone of happiness, oxytocin, in all participants in the massage session.

Benefits of massage for babies

There are many benefits of baby massage that can have a positive impact not only on a newborn baby, but also on his parents.

Massage will help your child:

develop physically, cognitively, socially;
stay relaxed and not upset;
cry and fuss less;
sleep better.

One study found that massaging a newborn could help them recover from jaundice faster.

Massage sessions are especially beneficial for premature babies, as a result of which there will be several improvements:

Faster weight gain, especially when using oils. Massage activates a key nerve called the vagus nerve that connects the brain to major parts of the body, including the stomach. Activating this nerve improves digestion and bowel movements, helping your baby gain weight.
Stable heart rate. Massage improves the functioning of the nervous system, which regulates the functioning of our organs. Thus, massage can help keep a child's heart rate steady.
More calm behavior during stress and pain.
More stable brain activity. Premature babies who receive massage tend to have normally developing brain activity. In premature babies who have not been massaged, there is a decrease in brain activity.

Massage for a baby from 0 to 3 months is, first of all, to train the child's body for various movements, reduce the hypertonicity of the muscles of the legs and arms, and also actively develop the neck muscles, strengthening the upper pectoral, dorsal muscles and shoulder girdle.

Massage for a baby at 1 month is also carried out in order to contribute to the normal functioning internal organs, muscle relaxation and improved metabolism.

Sharp and hard pressure is not allowed when a month-old baby is massaged. This is especially important when massaging the face and head of the baby. After all, the bones of the baby are still being formed, and they are very sensitive and fragile.

massage for babies from 1 month includes soft strokes, slowly turning into light pressure;
massage for a 2 month old baby contains soft strokes, and may also include rubbing, kneading and vibration. Massage for a 2-month-old baby is designed to relieve colic, relax the muscles of the legs and arms, which are still in good shape. Also, massage should help to calm the nervous system. Rubbing should be done carefully, because the skin of children is still very delicate and thin. You should refrain from rubbing if you notice a rash on the baby's skin;
regular massage for a child at 3 months old helps prevent umbilical hernia, constipation and colic, has a beneficial effect on the state of the nervous system, strengthens muscles and joints, and improves blood circulation. Massaging the palms and arms positive influence for development fine motor skills, therefore, on the speech and cognitive skills of the child in the future. General massage For three month old baby includes soft stroking, rubbing and gymnastic exercises.

How to do a massage for newborns at home?

Before deciding how to massage a newborn, choose a place that is safe for the baby to massage. It should be comfortable for you, so that it is convenient to massage the child, and for the baby himself.

Until your baby can roll over or move a lot, you just need to make sure that he lies on a stable surface.

As soon as the child can roll over, it is better to choose a surface from which he cannot fall. Babies can roll over in no time, especially if the baby is covered in oil and will be slippery.

The middle of the bed or even the floor is fine. Just put a clean towel or sheet under the baby. And never leave a baby unattended.

Make sure the room is at a comfortable temperature and there are no direct air currents or drafts. If the weather is hot, do not massage your baby directly under a fan or under direct blow from an air conditioner. The baby will not like the massage if he feels cold.

Since this is a special moment for you and your child, make sure there are no distractions in the room. If you have a pet, move it to another room and move your mobile phone to silent mode. You may even want to turn on relaxing music at a low volume so that your child can hear how they are being spoken to.

Have everything you need for a massage at hand.

It is necessary to prepare:

massage oil;
towels to wipe off excess oil or cream;
clothes for changing clothes for a child;
regular diaper changing kit;
a bath for bathing a baby and a towel if you bathe a baby after a massage.

How to massage a newborn? Basic massage techniques

Babies love set routines and repetition.

So if you massage your baby the same way every time, he knows what to expect and enjoys the treatment.

Start massaging the baby from the feet, gradually moving to the body, ending with the head. Legs - perfect place to start a massage session, because the baby is used to having his feet touched when changing a diaper.
Pour a few drops of cream or oil on your hands. Heat the oil or cream by rubbing it between your palms.
Very gently rub it into the skin of the baby, starting with the legs.
Move along your legs. Then you can gently stroke from the hips to the toes.
Follow the same sequence on the hands. Massage them from shoulders to toes. Massage is useful to combine with light exercises.
Finger exercise. Gently pinch a finger between your thumb and forefinger and slowly bend and straighten it. Repeat with each finger. It is useful to accompany such exercises with nursery rhymes.
Exercises for the chest and tummy include circular strokes in a clockwise direction. Circular strokes of the tummy, done with gentle pressure, help food move through the digestive tract.
Hold the child's legs below the knee and, while lifting the legs up, gently press the knees on the stomach. This will help to release excess gases.
Finish massaging the front of the child's body with extensive strokes from the chest to the hips.
Turn the baby on his stomach to massage his back. Use large, counter-clockwise circles as you work your way up your back from its base to your shoulders.
Do not press on the area of the spinal column. This may harm your child.
Finish the back massage with large strokes from the shoulders to the hips, as you did on the front of the body.

baby head massage

In India, no baby massage not done without head massage.

Some children love to have their head touched more than any other part of their body.

If your child is one of those who does not like being touched on the head, do not insist on such a massage. Wait for the baby to grow a little and then try again. As the child becomes more familiar with massage, he may come to love head massage as well.

How should you massage your baby's head?

It is necessary to be very gentle with the head of a newborn, as the bones of the skull have not yet fused.

On examination, you can notice soft spots that sometimes pulsate. They are called cousins. There are two fontanelles, one is located on the crown (large fontanel), the other is on the back of the head (small fontanel) of the child. The posterior fontanel closes when your baby is about 6 weeks old, but the fontanel on top of the head closes by 18 months.

In the first six weeks, do not make pressure movements while massaging the head. Just gently stroke all parts of the head using oil, let it soak in on its own.

Once the baby's head is stiff, you can gently apply pressure with your fingers in small circles as you work your way around the baby's head.

But never apply pressure to the top of the baby's head, where the larger fontanel is still soft.

The fontanelles close and harden on their own as the bones of the baby's head grow and fuse together.

Until the child can hold his head on his own, apply oil on the head when the baby is lying on his back. So any oil that drips won't fall on his face. When the child holds his head by himself, you can apply the oil while he is lying on his stomach. This will make the exercise position even more comfortable.

If the baby has seborrheic dermatitis, do not comb out the crust while applying the oil. You will find that if the oil is left on the baby's head overnight, it will help to soften the scab, which can then fall off by itself when bathing or while washing or combing the baby's hair.

Even if this is not the case, seborrheic dermatitis does not interfere with the baby and is very common among children. It often goes away on its own as the baby grows.

Combing the crust, you risk damaging the scalp and causing infection.

How often should you massage?

Traditionally, the child is massaged every day before or after bathing. Some parents massage twice a day for the first three months. But there is no ideal number of massage sessions.

How often you do this depends on the time available and how the child feels during the massage. If you are a working mom, then most likely it will be difficult for your baby to massage your baby every day.

Even if the child receives massage only from time to time, all the benefits of massage will work.

The duration of the massage session

The duration of the massage varies with the age of the child. Some babies love it from birth, and then it takes up to 30 minutes to massage the whole body.

If your baby doesn't like the massage at first, keep the sessions short. When your baby starts crawling or walking, you may notice that he doesn't want to lie down for that long. Then you need to do a massage for 5 - 10 minutes.

Just "read" the signs your child is making. They will let you know if he likes the massage or not.

Massage your baby when he is not hungry or tired. So he will like the massage more. This can happen at any time of the day.

Babies love predictability, so if you do things at the same time and in the same sequence, they feel safe and happy. For example, if you start with massage, then bathing, feeding, and finally sleep, the child will learn to recognize this order of actions and will look forward to it.

This can be difficult to do with a newborn when needed. frequent feeding and the baby sleeps most of the time. When he grows up and has more time to be awake, you can take your time.

Because massage relaxes your baby, you can even make it part of your bedtime ritual. Massage before bed will help the baby relax after active day and calm down, be ready to rest.

If your baby cries a lot at night, an evening massage can help reduce the chance of crying. Over time, you will get to know the child better and be able to find right time for massage and bathing. Let the baby be your guide.

When is massage contraindicated?

If your child has a rash, do not apply cream or oil to the skin without first consulting a doctor.

If it becomes clear that the rash is caused by the cream or oil that was used to massage the baby, stop using it, consult a doctor to find out which oils or creams are best for your baby.

Some experts say it's best not to massage when your child has a fever or is sick. Others claim that gentle massage during a viral illness can help relieve body aches.

If your child has a fever, check with your doctor before giving a massage.

Always accept and explain to yourself the signals from the child. When sick, he may become fussy and refuse massage. On the other hand, if your touch eases the pain in the body, the baby will be able to calm down, fall asleep faster with your gentle strokes.

If the child's fever rises, he may feel cold. So you can just iron and rub it over your clothes without undressing. However, if the fever subsides, the baby may feel hot and may prefer to take off their clothes.

Follow the child. Always try to understand what makes him feel most comfortable.

In winter, you also need to massage. But the baby will like it only if he does not feel the cold. So make sure the room is warm enough before undressing your baby.

How to massage a baby is largely determined by the child himself. The ability to read the signals of his behavior is the most important moment of the massage. Your child will show when it should end, what strokes the baby likes and what not.

Baby massage consists of rubbing, kneading and stroking his arms, legs, neck, back, and abdomen.

If you properly massage your child, he can correct many health problems. Good massage:

improves digestion and relieves colic;
makes sleep longer and more restful;
normalizes the functioning of the nervous system;
leads muscles to tone, develops coordination of movements;
stimulates metabolism;
boosts immunity.

How often should a baby be massaged?

Pediatricians recommend giving a child a massage in courses of ten procedures at three, six, nine and 12 months. A favorable time for massage is the first half of the day, an hour after feeding or an hour before it. Massage can be started from two to three weeks of age if the baby is healthy and good mood. The room should have a comfortable temperature - 22–26 ° C.

If a mother does a massage to a child, the baby calms down and tunes in a positive way. How to massage three month old baby so that he quickly starts to roll over on his stomach, and then sit down, how to massage the legs of a child of 12 months, so that he walks faster - we will talk about this in more detail in this article.

How to massage a newborn baby?

Newborn babies are delicate and fragile, so many mothers worry about how to massage a baby so as not to hurt him. Touching the baby's body should be light and gentle. It is important to warm the hands before the massage, cut off the nails or at least round them off, remove the jewelry so as not to accidentally injure thin skin baby. To glide your hands over the skin, you can use baby cosmetic oil.

The rules on how to massage a month-old baby, as well as a child weighing up to 5 kg, are universal. Stroke the legs, back, tummy and chest baby lungs movements, returning to each part of the body three to four times. Stroke the tummy clockwise, do the “bicycle” exercise with the baby, pressing his legs to his chest. The total duration of the massage for children of this age is about five minutes.

How to massage a two month old baby?

If the baby already weighs 5 kg or more, the massage becomes more serious. While you are giving the baby a foot or back massage, add rubbing to the stroking movements. After preparatory strokes, you can also try gently “sawing” movements with the edges of the palms and pinching. Knees, elbows, inner thighs and mammary glands when massaging it is better not to touch. The total duration of the massage is about 10-15 minutes.

How to massage small children weighing more than 8 kg?

Massage of children aged 6–12 months also begins with stroking and pinching, after which new movements are added - clapping hands or fingertips. The total duration of the massage at this age can already reach 25-30 minutes.

You can massage a specific part of the child's body or combine different types massage within one session.

How to give a relaxing massage to a child?

If the baby is naughty or tense, you can give him a stroking massage: start from the back, walk with light movements along the spine, and then massage the tummy with circular movements.

How to give a child drainage massage?

Drainage massage helps to remove phlegm from the bronchi or lungs, so it is indispensable if Small child coughs a lot. The technique of this massage is simple: put the child on his stomach (you can put a roller under his chest) and pat him on the back in the direction from the middle of the back to the shoulders.

Please note that drainage massage is contraindicated for children under the age of six months.

How to give a back massage to a child?

For a firming back massage, you need to lay the child with his stomach on hard surface or fitball and massage its back in the direction from the spine to the sides, using stroking, and then patting and pinching movements. Finish the massage with stroking.

How to give a hand massage to a child?

Take the baby by the hands and gently shake them, with rhythmic smooth movements, lift the baby's hands and shake them - this will help get rid of hypertonicity. Stroke the baby's hands, bend and straighten them. Knead each finger on the handle, “draw” with your fingers on the baby’s palms, tickle the fingertips - such a massage will not only relax the muscles, but will also indirectly stimulate the development of speech.

How to massage the feet and legs of a child?

Lay the child on the back, wrap your fingers around his ankles and gently shake his legs. Bend the child's legs at the knees, press them to the stomach, and then spread them to the side (frog exercise). Such exercises are effective as a prevention of colic.

The stroking massage of the legs is done with light circular movements from top to bottom, while avoiding inner surface legs. Pay attention to the feet: massage all the fingers, bend and unbend them.

How to massage a child's abdomen?

To massage the child's abdomen, you need to put it on the back, and place your palms on his stomach, on both sides of the navel and lightly start stroking the abdomen from left to right - this massage also helps get rid of colic.

How to give a head and neck massage to a child?

This type of massage is not recommended for children in the first months of life, and even when the child grows up, it is better to have a head massage performed by a specialist. If you want to do this massage yourself, massage the baby's head and neck with very gentle movements, as if you were washing them with shampoo.

Exist different methods learning how to massage children: video tutorials, observing the work of a massage therapist, viewing diagrams and drawings in brochures on the development of a baby in the first year of life. But if, after studying the issue, you still have doubts about how to massage the child’s feet or how to massage his back, and also if your baby needs a course of professional corrective massage, you need to seek help from specialists.

The first month of a newborn's life is very important period. The baby's body begins to form. According to children's doctors, massage for a newborn is necessary from the first days of life to strengthen, develop and improve the health of the child. Features of newborn massage different ages differ. We will look at how, when and why to carry out the procedure for month old baby.

Each mother can do a general strengthening massage for a newborn at home. From the first days for the baby, it is important to feel touch.

Massage the baby with soft, delicate movements. The benefits of massage are as follows:

Prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Healing effect on the development of the nervous system.
Fortified the cardiovascular system, immunity.
Improves blood circulation, breathing of the baby.
The child eats and sleeps better.

The baby develops in two directions: physical and mental.

There is a special massage technology for babies from 1 month old, which involves all organs (from the face to the feet). Massage with therapeutic purpose carried out only by a specialist.

Basic exposure techniques

At this age, the massage technique has its own characteristics. The massage technique for a one-month-old baby consists of light rubbing and stroking, turning into gentle pressure. With proper procedure, the baby will revive, his skin will turn pink. At this age, it is easy to harm the child, because the bones are at the stage of formation.

Forbidden:

Patting.
Percussion movements.
Strong and sharp pressure.
Pressing on the chest.

Avoid massage actions in the groin area, on the inside of the thigh, on the knees, elbows, fontanel, kidneys, in the armpits. Any massage is prohibited immediately after feeding and waking up. Actions depend on the goal: a relaxing massage calms the baby, improves his sleep, invigorating gives a positive charge, cheers up.

Preparing for a massage

Before the procedure, the massage therapist needs to prepare supplies (towel, oil, cream or lotion) and prepare the room.

Masseur training

The massage therapist needs:

Cut your nails short.
Remove jewelry from hands.
Prepare the skin of the hands (warm, pleasant to the touch).

Room preparation

Be sure to ventilate the room. Avoid hypothermia of the chest. Room temperature should be between 21-24°C. When the baby is cold, hiccups begin, the nose and neck become cold.

Stages of massage

As mentioned earlier, a massage session for month old baby consists of stroking and rubbing. It is carried out in the following order:

The baby lies on his back, his limbs are massaged, starting with the handles.
Shift the crumbs to the stomach to massage the back.
Flip on the back - stroking the tummy. Stroking and rubbing feet. The legs are bent and straightened.
Turns from one barrel to another.

In order to strengthen the abdominal and neck muscles It is recommended to put the baby on the tummy as often as possible.

How to massage

When the room is prepared and the baby is positive, they start the session. Below is an example restorative massage for newborns 1 month old.

Breast

Gentle strokes from the intercostal space to the sides. Do it several times. Should make you feel good.

On the tummy

The prone position helps proper formation vertebral axis. So the baby strives to raise the head and hold it, the neck muscles are trained. With circular strokes, walk along the back (from the vertebra to the sides), along the buttocks towards the spine, along the surface of the thighs.

Head

With light strokes with fingertips, walk from the top of the head to the forehead, without touching the fontanel area. From the crown, smoothly move to the temporal part and the back of the head. Slow massaging with fingertips of the face from the forehead to the temples. A figure eight is smoothly drawn around the circle of the eye sockets. The neck is stroked on the sides. In an arc, from the nose to the ears, the cheeks are massaged.

Spinal extension

The child can reflexively arch the back in response to external stimulation. To do this, they put it on the barrels and gently run their hand along the spinal column, stepping aside by 1 cm. The baby has a response - an arched back bend. Make sure that the exercise does not cause discomfort to the child.

Tummy massage

From birth to 3 months, children develop digestive system, their body adapts to new resources of food intake. At this age, such problems with a children's tummy are common:

Colic.
Bloating.
Constipation.

The baby is placed on its back on a flat surface, the bent legs are gently pressed against the tummy. Bend and unbend the legs several times.

The abdomen is stimulated by stroking circular movements in a clockwise direction. Finish with a complete stimulation of the intestines. Stroking from the hypochondrium to the navel, rising to the stomach. Do not touch the right hypochondrium and genitals.

Arms and legs

Slowly open your fists and massage your palms. On the feet thumb draw the number eight or seven. Reflexively, the baby will squeeze and unclench his toes.

This massage session is tonic, tonic. But, in Lately, in newborns, muscle hypertonicity is monitored. Here you need a different kind of massage.

Massage for hypertonicity of newborns (relaxing)

You can notice muscle hypertonicity by the following signs:

Baby restlessness.
When a baby cries, he throws back his head and arches his back.
Tense limbs are brought together.

Massage for a baby at 1 month with hypertonicity is necessary. But to get positive result be sure to follow the technique of the procedure:

The movements of the masseur's hands in the direction blood vessels(on legs - massage from the foot towards the groin, on the handles - from the palms to the shoulder). Work with the handles first.
With gentle touches, walk from the fingers up along each hand, then massage the fingers.
Legs - with light touches from the foot to the lower leg and thighs. Do not touch inside thighs, groin, knees. Flexion and extension of the legs at the knees and hip joints.
On the foot of the baby with sliding, gentle movements, make several times spiral lines.

The proposed scheme is a partially relaxing massage for hypertonicity of the newborn. You can do these exercises on your own.

Contraindications

Beginning to massage a newborn should be very careful. It is forbidden to conduct massage sessions for infants with:

Blood diseases.
Elevated body temperature.
Skin diseases.
Diseases in acute form(cystitis, pyelonephritis).
Hepatitis, umbilical hernia.
Severe form of rickets.
Bleeding, damage to the skin, limbs.
Heart defect.
bone tuberculosis.
Excessive nervousness of the baby.

Before proceeding to self massage baby, you need to consult a doctor, specifying how many times you need to carry out the procedure.

Timing

What time to massage a baby at 1 month old depends on the purpose of the procedure and individual characteristics baby. If you are planning a relaxing session, better time session after bathing and before going to bed. The tonic session is carried out in the first half of the day. The first massage for a child of 1 month lasts about 10 minutes, with a gradual increase to 20 minutes. Thanks to the massage that the mother does, her bond with the child is strengthened. A newborn baby is very vulnerable, because it is adapting to life. By contacting the mother, the child will be calmer. All this will positively affect its harmonious development.

In the first months of life, many basic skills are laid, the character and psychological portrait of the baby, his understanding of the world begins to form. He learns to react to what is happening, to express emotions. The growth and development of the child is proceeding at a rapid pace: every day is equal to a new mastered skill, movement, reaction, sound or smell. The task of parents is to support the baby, teach him to perceive the world correctly, prepare muscles and ligaments, relax and calm him down. Correct and timely massage copes with all these tasks.

Physicians call the condition of a newborn a physiological tone. It is characterized by clenched fists, bent arms, and the baby's body often takes the fetal position. The movements of the arms and legs are often erratic. Massage for a newborn from 0 months is aimed at eliminating tone and creating conscious and controlled movements.

Gentle skin massage helps to improve the condition of internal organs, awakens muscles and stimulates their development, improves blood circulation. Through the first touches, the baby learns to understand the world, recognize mom and dad, realizes himself safe. As a result of regular procedures:

The child's risk of occurrence and development of infectious diseases is reduced;
Reduces the risk of intestinal colic, diarrhea and constipation;
There is a stimulation of the musculoskeletal system and its proper development;
There is a formation of correct posture;
The metabolism is normalized;
Improves appetite;
Lungs develop;
Sleep is normalized.

Stroking movements during massage help reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. This hormone is responsible not only for emotions, but also for the state immune system. The smaller it is, the better the immunity of the child will be.

In infants, hearing and vision are poorly developed, and he perceives everything that happens around him through the skin and touch. Gentle and calm strokes can soothe the baby. A large number of nerve impulses sent to the brain at the time of massage contributes to proper physical and mental development.

Children's massage is divided into three types: preventive, treatment-and-prophylactic and therapeutic.

Therapeutic massage is carried out at home or in a clinic by specialists. It is necessary to massage the baby with:

Congenital dislocations and dysplasia;
Hypertonicity of muscle tissue;
curvature of the legs;
rickets;
scoliosis;
Hypotension;
pneumonia;
asthma;
hernias;
CNS disorders.

Preventive massage is done by parents and at home in the absence of contraindications. And therapeutic and prophylactic is prescribed in the presence of problems with the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system.

How often should a baby be massaged?

Massage begins to be done no earlier than three weeks of age. If appointed massotherapy, then it is done in courses of 10 sessions every three months. In rare cases - with a break of a month. This interval is explained by the increased load on the still fragile body in the first month of a newborn's life.

Preventive massage at home is softer. At normal reaction baby it can be carried out daily or even several times a day. Introductory sessions last no more than 5 minutes. The time of massage procedures increases gradually. By 3 months, the session lasts for about 20 minutes, and by 6 months - 35-40 minutes along with exercises.

Contraindications

Do not conduct massage sessions with a feverish state and elevated temperature, violations skin and a cold hyperexcitability and diseases of the circulatory system. Babies with heart disease can only be massaged in consultation with a pediatrician and a cardiologist. If there is an umbilical hernia, then the movements do not affect the navel area.

Otherwise, you can provoke a pinched hernia.

Basic exposure techniques

For babies 0-3 months of age, you can do:

Stroking with the palm of your hand to relax, improve blood circulation, increase tone;
Rubbing. They improve the nutrition of muscle tissue, soothe nervous system warm up the muscles. The technique differs from stroking by the intensity of movements;
Kneading. It is performed as a deeper rubbing. Spend middle, nameless and index finger in circular motions.

During massage of newborns up to 3 months at home, it is forbidden to touch the fontanel and elbows, armpits, groin and under the knees.

Crumbs are contraindicated in strong pressure, tapping, rolling.

Preparation for the procedure

Before the session, you should take care of comfortable temperature in the children's room: it should be from +18 to +22 ° C. The room must be ventilated and all windows tightly closed. It is necessary to massage on a flat and wide surface covered with a soft diaper. When carrying out the procedure at home, jewelry is removed from the hands. Long manicure also undesirable - nails can scratch delicate skin child.

Hands lubricate natural oil or cream for children. You can use coconut or lavender oil, argan, jojoba or shea butter, almond or tea tree, sandal.

Any synthetic, edible, warming oils are not suitable for use. The components contained in them are dangerous for an infant: they can provoke allergies and poisoning.

Sessions are carried out 60-90 minutes after eating. It is recommended to turn on calm music: children's classical music, the sound of the ocean and birds singing in the rain forest, the sound of rain, or any meditative melody will do.

How to do massage

Basic rules for massage:

Hand movements should be light, soft;
All circular movements are done clockwise;
The massage is stopped if the baby falls asleep, shows discontent, is naughty.

During the session with the child, you need to talk in a calm and quiet voice, it is also recommended to turn off the phone. Any sharp and loud sounds can frighten the child.

When performing any techniques, use the direction of movement from the bottom up or from the sides to the center. Massage begins to be done with hands. First, fingers are massaged, then palms and wrists. Thumb put in the palm of the baby and allow him to grab. With the second hand, massage the area from the wrist to the shoulder.

The legs are massaged starting from the feet and toes. With one hand they clasp the shin, and with the thumb of the other they rub the foot, making intense circular movements. Then proceed to stroking the lower leg and thigh. When massaging the legs, it is necessary to evenly knead all the muscles, but avoid the knee area. The knee joints of a newborn are weak, so any study can damage them. During the massage, the arms and legs cannot be unbent - they remain in a natural half-bent state.

The tummy is stroked from the navel area in a circular motion. The hands are moved to the middle of the abdomen and continue to slide the palms over the skin with minimal pressure. Then the oblique and transverse muscles are rubbed.

The palms are transferred under the lower back and massage the sides. chest massage from the front to the shoulders, then move to the sides, and the area mammary glands do not touch.

The baby is turned over on his stomach and begin to work with his back. Stroking the baby's back back side palms, and the direction of movement is from the buttocks to the neck. After several strokes, the direction is changed. When the baby begins to raise and hold his head in response to hand movements, the massage is stopped.

Finish the session by turning the child over left side: holding by the side, run your fingers along the spine from the sacrum to the neck. When massaging the muscles of the neck and back the right reaction the child will want to bend forward. The procedure is repeated three times, after which it is turned over to the right side.

After the massage, the child can be offered some water or food to restore energy. But most children fall asleep immediately after the session.